Pregnancy After UFE
All women suffering from uterine fibroids are concerned about the effect of the tumor on potential pregnancy and childbirth. “Will I be able to have kids? How can fibroids affect my pregnancy and fertility? Am I at risk of a miscarriage? Is pregnancy after UFE possible?”
Today, a quick and effective non-surgical procedure for removing uterine fibroids called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) can solve many problems for women with fibroids who want to become pregnant and carry full term. Although there are many myths about pregnancy after UFE, they are not confirmed by real data.
In Atlanta Fibroid Center, we have a wall of thankful letters from happy mothers and photos of their miracle babies.
Although fibroids do not always cause infertility, they pose certain risks for a woman planning to have a baby.
According to The Fertility Institute, the size and location of fibroids determine whether it affects your fertility. If the fibroid is located inside the uterine cavity or has a diameter of more than 6 cm, then the probability of conception can be reduced up to 70%.
Problems can occur during conception: for example, fibroids can “squeeze” fallopian tubes, which impedes the movement of sperm, or fibroids can impair ovulation.
And even if conception happens, the danger of complications still exists. Complications can happen if there is the contact of fibroids with the placenta. Furthermore, the size of fibroids is very important: with large tumors, the likelihood of miscarriage increases.
Pregnancy itself can also negatively affect fibroids. During pregnancy, the level of both estrogen and progesterone rises, and both of these hormones can contribute to the growth of fibroids and the formation of new tumors.
Unfortunately, according to available data, from 20 to 50 percent of women of childbearing age have fibroids. But the good news is that they have treatment options.
Pregnancy After Uterine Fibroid Embolization: Understand Your Options
Healthy pregnancy and childbirth are possible after UFE (uterine fibroid embolization).
In 2017, the journal Radiology published the results of a six-year study in which 359 women with fibroids who could not get pregnant before the procedure participated. During the 6 years after having UFE, 149 women (41.5%) became pregnant at least once, and 131 women gave birth to a total of 150 children. This was the first pregnancy for more than 85% of these women.
Researchers concluded that UFE can be recommended for women suffering from fibroids as a treatment option to restore fertility.
A recent study published in the International Journal of Biomedicine showed that the frequency of pregnancy complications in women who had UFE for treating fibroids did not differ significantly from healthy women without fibroids. Furthermore, the complication rate was much lower compared to women with fibroids who did not treat fibroids or chose only medication as a treatment method.
Equally important is the fact that the UFE procedure is fully covered by most insurances including government-sponsored plans. A woman chooses the UFE option to quickly and efficiently bring her life back and help her dreams of having a child become a reality.
Pregnancy after UFE is not just possible, it can solve other potential problems that fibroids can cause during pregnancy.
In our practice, dozens of stories have been shared about how women gave birth to healthy children after UFE, although before that they had many miscarriages or indications for necessary hysterectomy.
One of our patients had 4 miscarriages before having UFE, and nearly three months after the procedure she became pregnant. She became symptom-free, fibroid-free, and became a mother!
“Life is too short to be miserable. I tell every woman: don’t give up, especially if you come here, it is just going to be a whole different outcome of life. You’ll be able to have a baby, so do what you are supposed to do, come to get the procedure done. I’m really glad that I came. I was pregnant because of the [UFE] procedure. It was safe, it was simple, and I am still in a better position in my life after I had the baby, I still feel good. If I had not come here, I would not be holding my daughter in my arms.”
If you suffer from uterine fibroids and are not ready to give up on the dream of having children, think about UFE and make an appointment with Dr. John Lipman of Atlanta Fibroid Center. He will review your unique situation and evaluate your chances of getting pregnant after the procedure. For more information about UFE or to make an appointment, please call (770) 953-2600 or make an appointment online.
